Welcome to Lacrosse!

Terry took up a new sport this year...he's trying his hand at Lacrosse! This is our first experience EVER with lacrosse and we knew nothing about the sport until he joined the league this year. The first thing we learned is that lacrosse is not a cheap sport:

Registration...$100
League dues...$25
New cleats...$30
Equipment rental...$85
Replacement elbow pads...$35
Seeing your son stop a goal with his kidney...PRICELESS

Terry doesn't think that is very funny, but he is definitely learning to take his licks. He wasn't actually PLAYING goalie when he blocked that goal. Or the time he stopped a goal with his elbow. He just sort of found himself in the wrong (or perhaps "right") place at the wrong (or perhaps "right) time.

So Terry is teaching us the rules as he goes...and as he learns them too. I have to admit that lacrosse is actually a little more entertaining to watch than soccer (if you ask me). The rules are simpler, there's more contact, fewer penalties, and a higher score. So it moves a bit faster. All in all it has been a pretty good experience. The fact that he can catch a ball with a basket on the end of a stick is pretty impressive actually.

Fishin' with Dad

So our family has a new found hobby--fishing! Doug has always wanted to take the kids fishing more often, but there never seems to be a good opportunity for a big old fishing trip. But we have found the solution.

Last week our good friends the Bagoyos told us about their fishing spot. Unbeknownst to us (and probably lots of other Beavertonians--if that is a word), there is a park just 10 minutes down the road with a small lake. Turns out the Parks and Rec department stocks that lake with rainbow trout every 2-3 weeks! Now granted, these aren't gigantic fish by any means, but the perfect quick fishing outing for Dad and the boys. (Squint closely and you can see the fish in front of Doug's hand in the above photo).

So Saturday morning they spent 3 hours fishing at the park and between the 5 boys there (Zach, Terry, and 3 of Zach's buddies) they caught 30 fish. Then, last night for home evening, we headed out again. Doug took Trevian along with them and I met them at the park as soon as I finished with work. It wasn't quite as busy of a fish evening, but we still brought home enough for Doug to fry up for dinner. And it was TASTY!!!

Who knew...just down the road in the middle of town we would find a great little fishin hole. I'm sure we'll become regulars there as the kids keep asking to go back. Gotta love the picture of Trev though--even when fishing, it's all about posing to look good for the photo op! :)

The Little Red Hen

Trevian had her debut theater performance this month in school. The kindergarten put on the musical "The Little Red Hen." Trevian was a chick. Of course you know the story of the little red hen...how nobody will help the hen make her bread, but everyone wants to help eat the bread. The kindergarten puts on this play every spring. So EVERY student in the school knows the songs and has played a special part in the play in their earlier years. (This pic is Trevian and her teacher.)

Trevian has practiced very hard to learn all of the songs. Last week for Family Home Evening, we spent time singing all the songs with her. She has asked me countless times which Little Red Hen song is my favorite. At the end of the performance, everyone yells "encore!" and they sing an extra song, followed by a rousing performance of the chicken dance (which they expect audience participation for). It was a very fun evening and a very fine performance!

Food = Friends

The other day Terry was telling me about a new friend he made at school. I asked him about this kid and what makes them friends. He said "we just have so much in common with each other Mom." I responded, "oh? Like what?" Terry said "well for starters, we both LOVE ranch dressing."

Now, I must admit I have never forged a friendship over salad dressing, but it got me thinking. And I HAVE forged a few friendships over other foods. Namely Dr. Pepper and chocolate. You know who you are--my fellow "girl day" friends. And I am quite convinced that there is nothing in the world that a 2-liter bottle of Dr. Pepper, a giant chocolate bar, and an afternoon with good friends can't make better. Okay, some days it may take 2 2-liter bottles and 2 candy bars.

Now, this probably goes against everything I preach professionally--encouraging relationships with food. But let's remember moderation in all things. It's not a daily occurrence. In fact, lunch dates with friends are really only like once a week, max. And hey...as one friend put it, we all get our time on the couch while the others listen. It's therapy and it costs a lot less than a shrink! :)

So, whether it is with carrots and a side of ranch dressing, or Dr. Pepper and a chocolate bar, I'm grateful today for the good times I have had and will always have with friends.

Random Thoughts on Running--it's really about the skirt

So I had a great run today. Really. It was 12 miles...longest run I've done since the marathon last fall. But I am signed up for a half marathon the day before Mother's Day so it's time to get serious about my training again. Actually, I had a long run planned for last week but I spent that morning worshiping the porcelain god in my bathroom and after worship services were over, I had no energy left for the next 3 days. But this week I was ready to get back on track. Today was the day.

Well, last week I read this article in Runner's World magazine about what people think about when they run. Apparently what you are thinking about can impact the quality of your run. And while random thinking can be good for you, apparently if you are serious about running you won't just spend all your time in random thinking, but you'll focus on your run some of the time as well. For me personally, I can't get into that routine that some of my runner friends do when they count their breaths compared to their pace and how many steps they take per breath, etc. No...for me, I figure if I am running, I am pretty sure I am breathing. End of analysis.

So today, after confirming that I was running and therefore breathing, I moved on to the part where I zone out and just run, lost in the abyss of random thoughts in Heather's brain. So, in risk of letting people catch a glimpse of just how random and scary my brain is, here are some of my random thoughts while running.

• Man, every song on my playlist is about running. Really! Every song relates to running. I can find at least one way that EVERY song on my playlist can be tied to how I feel while running, how I feel about running, how I feel after running, etc.
• I am moving so slow!
• I don't care if I am moving slow...I have on a dang cute skirt!!! And anyone running in a skirt is awesome! (really--try it. Get a running skirt. It's like secret power--you feel invincible as you pass others and you are thinking "yah, I just passed you. And I'm in a SKIRT!!!" Most of the time they are walkers, but I still pass them.)
• What if I saw a dead body in those bushes? Okay, seriously, what morbid person worries about coming across a dead body on their run??? It's not like I live in some psycho neighborhood or crime capital of the world. Nevertheless, it has popped in my head as I've run past swampy, marshy bushes.
• I swore I would never eat Gu!!!! Now I have favorite flavors!!!
• This flavor isn't going down so well today.
  
• How many people that know me have passed me and thought I was running slow? Did they notice I at least have on a very cute skirt???
• Hmmm....maybe I COULD be an American Gladiator. Or at least an Athleta model. Then I would have a lot more cute skirts to run in. (I tell you--wear a skirt when you run! It makes you certain you are so much more than you are!!!!)
• It doesn't matter how hot it gets, I will NEVER run in just a jog bra. My wobbly bits are for my eyes only. Hmmm...how am I going to be an American Gladiator or an Athleta model with wobbly bits?
• What am I going to make for dinner tonight? When are we going to find time for dinner tonight?
  
• Maybe if I stare at the ground I won't notice that I have a big hill to climb. No, now I just think that I'm running REALLY SLOW on flat ground. I'd rather know that I'm going up a big hill slow.
  
• Who's idea was it to program this Garmin to beep at me every time I slow down...doesn't it know I'm going uphill???
• Why am I so crazy that I don't just turn the stupid beep off? Because secretly I love the beep taunting me to run faster. And hey...I have on a really cute skirt. So maybe I CAN run faster.